


stop. fast foward. play.

by Mintyxxchuu



Category: TOMORROW X TOGETHER | TXT (Korea Band), 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Future, Alternate Universe - KPOP Idols, Alternate Universe - Time Travel, Best Friends Choi Soobin & Choi Yeonjun, Choi Soobin-Centric, Feelings Realization, Gen, High School graduate Choi Soobin, M/M, Misunderstandings, Slow Burn, soobin's pov
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-09 21:53:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,440
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27523360
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mintyxxchuu/pseuds/Mintyxxchuu
Summary: Choi Soobin’s not in his present—he is 15 years into the future
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 22
Kudos: 88





	stop. fast foward. play.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [vmknation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vmknation/gifts).
  * Inspired by [stop. rewind. play.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25482886) by [vmknation](https://archiveofourown.org/users/vmknation/pseuds/vmknation). 



> hello!
> 
> i wrote this AU a few months ago and i still am honestly not done with it. this is inspired by vmknation's AU and it will be heavily reference in this one.   
> thank you Rai for being awesome enough to let me expand your idea and making a spin-off!
> 
> yes. i'm really nervous about this. 
> 
> but do enjoy! 
> 
> ps. i'll update more when i am done with the rest!

There is a lingering air of regret the moment Soobin opens his eyes.

He is standing in the middle of an unfamiliar street with nothing but a thin sweater and a pair of loose sweatpants with worn sneakers. The chilling weather bites him in the skin; making him shudder in the cold and triggering his reflexes to wrap his arms around his body to conceive his body heat. The sky is as dark as obsidian with the full moon peeking shyly in between grey clouds—it probably explains the lack of other humans on the street. The previous regret is immediately replaced by gripping fear, making his eyes dart nervously around the streets with residential buildings and closed shops.

_Where exactly is Choi Soobin…?_

The fresh high school graduate tries to wrack his brain for any ideas of what had happened but comes up blank. The gears in his head work slowly as he processes the questions that pop up in his mind— _how did he get here? Where is he? What the hell is happening? Wasn’t he supposed to meet up with Yeonjun just this morning..?_

At the thought of his best friend, a spike of pain in his head suddenly takes him by surprise and he stumbles lightly on his feet. Soobin scrunches his nose and tries to push his thoughts further into the last question but as if he was pushed out by an invisible barrier, the only response he gets is pain so he huffs and gives up. Soobin takes a deep breath, calming down his irrational thoughts to focus and tries to analyze his situation just as Uncle Seokjin had taught him once when the man came to visit Yeonjun when they were in middle school.

_“You have eyes, Soobin. In wary situations, check yourself first. What do you have with you?,”_

Taking a deep breath, Soobin lets his hands wander all over his body; patting himself for any useful items he could’ve carried—his hand stops on his left pocket, fingertips caressing small bumps on the cotton fabric. He bites his lower lip— _a nasty habit he had picked up from his childhood best friend_ —and stuffs his hand into his pocket. His fingertips graze a thin and rough surface of an item and he wraps his hand around it, familiarizing himself with the circular band of the item and a cold piece of metal that seems to have been woven into the item. Easily, Soobin pulls the item out— _lo and behold_ , held in between his fingers, is a self-made black woven bracelet with a cute metal charm in the shape of a bunny . Soobin furrows his eyebrows in confusion as he could not recall where he had gotten the piece of accessory.

_Now, where did he get this bracelet..?_

His mind offers him no answers, even when he demands it. Though Soobin could not remember, he feels as if the bracelet means a lot to him so he slips the piece of accessory onto his wrist. Immediately, he feels a tad bit safer as if he is wrapped by a blanket of safety—the kind of safety that he’d only recognize whenever he’s with Yeonjun. _Maybe the bracelet came from the older?_ _That would make sense._ Maybe that’s why it feels familiar on Soobin’s skin. Like the cold breeze from around him, a sense of longing washes over him and he’s left in a daze as he stares at the bracelet. He could not remember for the life of him but for unknown reasons, tears begin to form in his eyes and Soobin blinks them away stubbornly.

_Focus._

His subconscious whispers and Soobin shakes his head, pulling his thoughts away from Yeonjun and the mysterious bracelet. _Now, what’s next?_ Soobin allows his eyes to wander as he tries to pick up hints of his whereabouts. There is literally no one on the streets and the all of the shops are closed. The buildings did look a bit different to what Soobin is used to. More modern, in a sense. Soobin forces his legs to move, searching for any signs of life to help him but also highly aware of any possible dangerous situations he could get into. Thankfully, he still remembers his father’s lessons on self-defense. His father might be absent sometimes, but at least he’s taught Soobin a thing or two.

Soobin’s legs falter to an automatic stop as his gaze fixes on a closed convenience store.

_“keep a level-head. Do not lose your calm. Look at your surroundings. If you’re in a dire situation, remember your parents’ contact numbers,”_

Uncle Seokjin’s words echo in his head but he doubts that the last advice would work— _not when_ Soobin is staring at the newspaper stuck onto the wall with the _date_ on display.

_It couldn’t be._

That’s it, Soobin has _officially_ lost his marbles. Maybe it’s his confusion that brought this predicament to him. So, like an idiot, he stands in front of the wall, feeling the blood on his face drain and his heart picking a notch as he tries to make sense of his situation. _Maybe it’s the bad karma for teasing Yeonjun so much?_ Or Maybe it’s Soobin’s head messing with him and starting to play with hallucinations.

Because there is no way in _hell_ that this is happening to _him_ —But as if triggered, a memory plays in his head.

_“Don’t be dramatic, hyung. It’s only been a week since the last time we studied this,”_

_Yeonjun had laughed at him with a knowing look in his eyes. He had propped his arm on the table and dropped his chin on his hand._

_“Really? It felt like it was nine months ago,”_

_Soobin had found it strange as he tore his eyes away from his book and narrowed his eyes at the older._

_“that’s a weirdly specific number but okay,”_

_Soobin was clearly confused as Yeonjun snickered. “To be honest, I feel like I haven’t seen you in nine months too,”_

The memory fades away and Soobin _finally_ understands what Yeonjun had meant then. Of course, he should’ve. Yeonjun wasn’t crazy. Not at all.

Because the date he’s seeing with his own eyes is not the same date nor _year_ he had previously been. it’s no longer a matter of his _whereabout—_ It’s the matter of his _when-about._

Choi Soobin’s not in his _present_ —he is 15 years into the future.

* * *

Okay, _now what?_

Soobin tries to pull his thin sweater closer onto his body to conserve his reducing body heat as he fights against the cold weather. The previous fear and confusion have faded into exhaustion. He has been wandering the streets for almost an hour and his feet are _killing_ him. It’s even surprising that no thugs had jumped him but with this _weather_ , who in the _right_ mind would even stay out of their homes? Tears of frustration slowly form in his eyes as he stumbles upon a flight of stairs that lead to the upper level of a shop. Soobin collapses onto a step and huddles himself closer to the wall. The frustration grows and _God,_ he wants to go _home_.

_Home_.

But instead of the comforts of his room with his fluffy bed and electronics, all he could think of is a beautiful and breathtaking smile with a pair of crescent adorable eyes staring back at him; The warmth of a pair of arms that would always cling onto him; the pitter-patter of a heartbeat whenever they’re close.

_“I’ve seen your face every day since we met and I’m getting sick of your face—now please open your notes and study. You already lost a lot of time because you woke up late,”_

_“Lies, Choi Soobin. I hear lies,”_

_“shut up and memorize the periodic table, hyung,”_

A tear escapes his left eye as Yeonjun’s laughter rings in his ears, melodic and so much like _home._

“home. Wanna go home,” Soobin murmurs as more tears fall onto his cheeks. He feels exhaustion and the cold weather dragging him under and he has no energy to fight back as he freezes on the stairs.

“Want home,” He cries softly. It is as if his life flashes by and he sees his family; his mother who is probably worried sick of his whereabouts and even his father who would probably cancel his meetings just to join the search party for him. How could they reach him when he’s in a different timeline? He sees his friends who would probably panic at his absence and most of all, he could only think of Yeonjun. His best friend. His.. _what were they exactly?_ —His eyelids grow heavier and he thinks, _ah, this is how I’m going to die._

Before his eyes fully shut, a dark figure loom over him and he’s gone.

* * *

_The daycare is lonely, young Soobin concluded._

_It was only the first few days of daycare and he couldn’t understand for the life of him why his parents—more specifically his daddy who he never saw at home—had sent him for daycare a year early which made him younger than everyone in the room. Since he was younger, it was clear that he didn’t fit in with his peers. So, four years old Soobin quietly kept to himself in the corner by keeping his hands busy with drawing his family—stickmen version, of course._

_“Do you like to read?,”a soft voice startled him and Soobin peered up from his drawing to see an older boy standing over him while holding out a book in his hands. Warmth spread all over him as little Soobin’s eyes widened and he dropped the red crayon. Soobin shook his head._

_“I can’t read very well yet,” Soobin paused. “I’m only four years old and my mom says I’m still too young,”_

_“oh well,” The boy surprised him when he sat down next to him and smiled at him. “Do you want me to read this book to you?,:” he asked._

_Soobin felt a rush of giddiness all over his tiny body and he nodded enthusiastically before scooting closer, closing the gap between them. He didn’t notice the boy fluster at the attention he was giving him. The boy cleared his throat and scratched his nose._

_“By the way, my name is Yeonjun. I’m six years old so you can call me hyung,” the boy mumbled as Soobin stared at him attentively._

_“Okay, Yeonjun hyung,” Soobin giggled and smiled, both dimples on his cheeks on display. “you can call me Soobin,”_

_Yeonjun._

_His first friend._

_That’s cool._

_“alright, Soobin! Prepare to be amazed by this book,”_

_Probably his life-long friend too._

* * *

It’s warm.

It feels as if he’s laying on fluffy clouds and Soobin couldn’t help but wonder if he is in heaven. The feeling of safety here at wherever he is lulls him into a state of relaxation that he hadn’t felt for a while now. Additionally, the trip down the memory lane in his dream causes him to feel more at ease.

But, There is an enticing smell of _food_ in the air that slowly rouses him from his unconsciousness. Carelessly, he lets his hands wander around the place he had laid on, in an attempt to find his phone while being half asleep but all he feels are soft…

_plushies._

This immediately alerts him because he does _not_ have this _much_ amount of plushies—The realization causes him to sit up abruptly, almost making him dizzy from the sudden movement and his eyes are snapped open.

_This_ is totally _not_ his room.

For one, Soobin doesn’t own the dozens of plushies on this bed; all of them a variety of figures and shapes he doesn’t recognize. Second, his walls are the color of sky blue and not _pink._ Soobin doesn’t want to judge the owner of the room by assuming things but from the fluffy dresses in the opened closet and the lines of tiaras on the shelves with the bed that he’d only realized was a bit too small for him, he’d deduced that this room is owned by _a little girl_.

Then, His eyes land on the calendar on the wall.

_1 st December 2054._

Last time he’d remembered, the date was 29th September 2039—15 years in the _past_.

_So, it is not a hallucination._ Soobin groans lowly and carefully tries to get out of bed.. only to step on a toy that lets out a loud noise that could probably be heard from across the streets.

Soobin winces and internally curses at his luck as he closes his eyes in frustration. When he opens them again, he finally realizes that he was wearing a thick sweater that clearly don’t belong to him over his sweatpants. He blushes. Did the person who found him changed his clothes..? the prospect of a stranger changing his clothes greatly embarrass him.

_“Oh!_ Oppa is awake!--,” Soobin snaps his head towards a _shrill_ voice that obviously belongs to the owner of the room. The little girl is standing by the door and the first thing he sees are the cat ears-hair band sticking out of her hair which he internally coos at. The girl is tiny, probably around four years old with dainty and adorable physical features with a subtle hint of being mixed. She’s wearing a blue frilly dress and it’s absolutely adorable. The little girl seems to notice him staring as she smiles shyly at Soobin. “—Papa is in the kitchen. Do you want to meet him?,”

Soobin visibly melts at the adorableness of the baby and fights the urge to swaddle the girl with kisses. “i—I’d like that--,” he pauses. “—umm, hi.. I’m Soobin. What’s your name?,” he asks softly, trying not to scare the little girl while he stands and carefully walks over to her. The little girl looks up to him, eyes curious and Soobin internally waits for the terrified screams as he stops in front of her. But then, she smiles, clearly not seeing Soobin as a threat which is quite frankly weird but cute as well. He notices the teeth gap and finds it absolutely endearing.

“you’re silly! You look like Uncle _bunny_ ,” The little girl says and Soobin sucks in a sharp breath.

_“Have anyone told you that you look like a bunny, Soobinie?,”_

_“you have. For the nth time now. Since we were children,”_

_“haha, just seeing if you remember,”_

_“how could I not? You remind me of it every day,”_

“—Oppa?,”

Soobin didn’t realize he was staring until the little girl tugs on his pants, nose scrunch up in worry. Soobin’s heart stutters nervously. He gulps.

If he is 15 years into the future, could it be that..?

“what’s your name?,” he asks cautiously, unconsciously holding his breath as he anxiously waits for the girl’s answer. The little girl frowns lightly in confusion before she smiles widely, eyes turning into crescents.

“My name is Huening Moa!,”

Soobin sighs in relief as he smiles at the girl.

_Not Yeonjun hyung’s daughter._ He thinks in relief before the relief confuses him. _Why am I relieved..?_ Then, he shakes his head to rid of his thoughts. He hesitantly offers his hand to the girl who takes it without hesitation which only makes him fall for her harder. _So cute!_ He squeals internally. He gently reaches down and pats the girl’s bangs, earning a whiny scold from Moa.

“let’s go meet your father, shall we?,”

* * *

Soobin could see that the home is really well-kept.

The hallway’s walls are nailed with hanging pictures that all pass in a blur since Moa is practically _dragging_ him. The aroma of the food grows stronger as they walk pass rooms filled with personal items. They walk pass the living room which is an extension to the dining room, an open space concept that Soobin likes. He could see Moa’s toys around the floor but other than that, the place is tidy.

This house is _alive._ Much more than his home, really. Soobin’s home is just blank grey walls and not much personal items. Like a hotel’s. But then again, Soobin only has his mother in their house back in the _past_. It is enough for him but this house actually _feels_ like a home. Must be _nice_ to have that.

Too distracted by his thoughts, Soobin didn’t realize that the girl has stopped and he almost stumbles in surprise. He blinks and there are a pair of eyes staring back at him, widened as if they were shocked by his appearance. Soobin frowns before he eyes the adult. The man is tall, even taller than him and that’s intimidating since Soobin is a literal giant— _Yeonjun’s words, not his_ —with wide shoulders and strong arms. He looks like he is in his thirties with the chiseled jaw and forming wrinkles around his eyes as if he smiled a lot. The man’s hair is slightly curly and ends on his collar in waves. His eyes are dark and his nose is sharp with a pair of plump lips. Soobin could clearly tell where Moa gets her good looks from and the accent of mixed races from. The man is clearly mixed.

“um,” The man’s low voice startles him and Soobin’s face burns when he realized he had been staring. He couldn’t blame himself too since the man was clearly staring at him too but the man is staring at him as if he’s seeing a ghost. “when I brought you here last night, I thought I was hallucinating but clearly, I’m not,” the man mutters, but Soobin feels as if he’s talking to himself.

Soobin shifts on his feet and he feels Moa lets go his hand before pouting at her dad. “You’re not going to introduce yourself, papa?,” Moa says, her tone cutely sterned. Soobin expects the man to scold his daughter for her tone—just as Soobin’s dad would if he’d ever do that—but to his surprise, the man laughs and shakes his head before meeting his gaze. It’s clear the man is hesitant by the way he is smiling at him.

“Hello, I see that you’ve woken up,” _No shit, Sherlock._ Soobin thinks. “I’m Huening Kai. You can just call me Hyung,” The man says, sounding a bit uncomfortable. Soobin scrunches his nose. _This old man should be called ahjusshi or something but hyung? This does not sit well with me._ He thinks. As if the man could hear his thoughts, he continues. “I’m only 30, kid. Just call me hyung,”

Soobin nods hesitantly. “Okay, Kai hyung..,” He tries out carefully and feels as if acid had touched his tongue. For some reason, he could not use the formal term for the man. Technically, Soobin is older than him if he adds up the 15 years to his current age. He catches a quirk on the man’s lips and he’s not even bothering to hide his amusement.

“You’re not going to introduce yourself, Oppa?,” Moa asks innocently from his side and Soobin flinches lightly. Then, he hesitantly nods.

“I’m Choi Soobin,”

Huening Kai’s smile drops.

* * *

The dining room is quiet, safe for Moa’s chattering as she talks about her toys that Soobin is half-heartedly listening to. Soobin’s eyes are downcast on his bowl which holds his barely touched rice and eggs alongside kimchi. He glances towards the opposite of him where Huening Kai had sat before he had hurriedly excused himself to take a call. The adult had acted strange upon Soobin’s introduction and he has a burning suspicion that Huening Kai knows something he doesn’t. Moa’s voice drowns in the background as he starts to access his situation.

He is in the future—that’s as far as he could tell. if he knows something about the past in this future, wouldn’t it effect his choices if he goes back to the past? _If_ is such an understatement. Soobin doesn’t even know _how_ to go back. But does he want to? Clearly, something must have happened to cause Fate to catapult him into a whole new timeline that hasn’t even happened. That _something_ must have been something that would heavily influence his choice for his future because Soobin couldn’t _remember_ anything for the life of him. It’s strange, since Soobin could remember basically everything _but_ before he found himself in the future.

Because of this, Soobin is very much afraid of going back. He never really likes confrontations.

“Oppa, why are you not eating?,” Moa chirps innocently, which brings back his attention to the little girl. Soobin forces a smile, unable to hide his churning anxiety about staying _stuck_ in the future. Anyone would be ecstatic to know what their future holds, but not Soobin. He likes to focus on his present.. which basically means that this future is his current present. _Oh God. I’m going to be sick._ Soobin thinks.

“will you excuse me for a bit, Moa? I think I need the toilet,” Soobin asks, sounding ridiculously too polite for him to be talking to a literal child. Moa looks as if him as if she finds him absolutely hilarious before nodding enthusiastically to his question. Soobin pushes himself to stand up and gives Moa a careful smile before slowly moving through the living room in the direction of the hallway. Soobin keeps his head down, avoiding himself from looking at the pictures hanging on the walls for unknown reasons. He almost makes it to the toilet at the end of hallway when he hears Huening Kai’s voice through a door on his right.

_“Yeonjun hyung is not crazy!,”_

At the mention of a _very_ familiar name, Soobin halts. His curiosity got the best of him as he silently moves closer to listen into the man’s conversation. The door is slightly ajar and he could see Huening Kai pacing in his office with a phone on his ear. There is a look of distress and humor on the man’s face but Soobin could clearly tell that he is on a verge of tearing his hair out.

“Listen, Taehyun--,” another unfamiliar name. hm. “—remember that one time before we disbanded? When we were talking about what we’d do after our idol years?,”

_Disbanded? Idol?_ Soobin couldn’t believe his ears. He’s staying with a former idol? That’s kinda cool. It reminds him of Yeonjun’s parents who were idols once. He shakes his head and listens closely.

“I know it’s Tuesday and I know you’re busy with your gym but I am _freaking_ out! Yeonjun hyung told us that he travelled to the past, remember? And we thought he was crazy! Soobin hyung though--,”

Soobin steps back in alarm, his head turning at everything he’d heard. He feels dizzy as he slams against the wall.

_Disbanded. Idol. Yeonjun. Past. Soobin **hyung**._

So, Huening Kai does know him. The words repeatedly echo in his head and he’s vaguely aware that Huening Kai had come out of his office to check in the ruckus he’d caused but it’s just Soobin sliding down against the wall and his eyes are glaring at the picture frame on the wall that he didn’t take his time to look when he should have.

It’s a picture of five _boys_ on stage, posing for the picture with thousands of lights behind them. Soobin squints as he watches closely and realizes that the lights are actually _humans._ All of them are holding banners that read _“Tomorrow x together”_ which doesn’t make sense to him at all. Though it looks like a normal sentimental picture, Soobin couldn’t _breathe._ There’s Yeonjun in the picture, sporting brown hair that stands out in his white-blue clothes. He’s among the five boys. He could recognize a much younger Huening Kai in the picture and two other boys he doesn’t recognize. But most of all, he could recognize _himself._

_Idol. Him. An idol?_

His head spins and everything turns black.

_the betrayal settled in as Soobin stared at his best friend whose face was excited and determined. He felt his stomach dropped when he realized the boy truly meant what he’d said. Yeonjun didn’t seem to notice his distress. Soobin should feel happy for him, right..? so, why was he getting upset about this?_

_“You—what?,” he asked again, as if he hadn’t heard the first time. Yeonjun shot him a look of exasperation as he rolled his eyes._

_“I want to be an Idol, Soobinie. I’m going to audition,”_

* * *

_“—It’s clearly him. Holy shit. Only Soobin hyung has that bracelet on his wrist. How did you not notice this, Kai?,”_

The arguing rouses him but Soobin lays still. He can feel the breeze from the AC brushing against his skin and hears the worried hushed whispers from the people around him. He feels the soft cushion underneath him and assumes that he’s on the sofa in the living room. He could feel himself getting tense but he forces himself still just to listen in to the people’s conversation.

“in my defense, I thought he was just someone who _eerily_ looks like Soobin hyung!,” argues the host of the house.

“with the _same_ name? with _that_ self-made bracelet?,” Even with Soobin’s eyes shut, he could hear the incredulous tone in the stranger’s voice. There is a heavy pregnant of silence before he hears Huening Kai releases a loud whine-ish groan.

“where did you find the kid, anyway?,” another voice asks, silent until now that it almost makes Soobin flinch in surprise. The new voice is significantly much deeper than the other two. Soobin internally decides to call the first voice as Stranger one and the second as Stranger two.

“He was unconscious on the flight of stairs next to my studio. I was going home late and saw him. It was too dark for me to actually see his face but I took the decision to bring him home because he’s just a kid,” Huening Kai answers.

“you and your kind heart are going to give me gray hair! What if the kid’s dangerous?,” Stranger One scolds. “ _and_ you made him sleep in Moa’s bed! Moa!,” he continues exasperatedly.

“he just reminds me of Soobin hyung,” Huening Kai argues weakly. Soobin’s head is spinning again. Why are they talking as if they know him..? and if the dream (?) he had was a flashback to what had happened, did Yeonjun really made it as an idol? The picture too. Does it mean Soobin was an idol too? _I have so many questions._ Soobin thinks.

“well, he’s clearly Soobin--,” a pause. “—hey, kid. We know you’re awake,” Stranger Two says which startles Soobin so much it makes him open his eyes in bewilderment. He first notices the man kneeling next to the sofa who is clearly stranger two. Stranger Two has short black hair with a doll-like face that kinda reminds him of Yeonjun’s dad, Taehyung. They both don’t look the same but Soobin knows God-like features when he sees one. With a pair of pretty dark brown eyes, a sharp nose and thick lips, Soobin had to admit Stranger two is beautiful despite the obvious mature age in the form of growing wrinkles around his eyes.

“Eavesdropping is not a good behavior,” Stranger two says in amusement but Soobin frowns as he carefully sits up.

“so is talking about someone while they’re unconscious,” Soobin argues and stranger two grins. Soobin tears his eyes away and looks at the third person in the room who is standing next to Huening Kai. Out of all three adults, the man is smaller than the other two but it’s clear that he’s bulkier due to his strong arms. His body didn’t quite fit his face since his physical features are dainty with cat-like eyes, sharp nose and plump lips. His hair is blonde too, which stands out the most. This must be Stranger One. Soobin realizes with a beat that these three were in the picture as well.

“Kid, where are you from?,” Stranger One suddenly asks. Soobin frowns, disliking the tone the adult is using on him.

“Maybe if you introduce yourself first, I’d tell you,” Soobin argues. He’s not normally like this. Soobin is respectful to those who are older than him but being with three strangers lulls him into a state of safety as if he’d known them his whole life. But how could he when he’d never met them before?

Huening Kai falls into a fit of giggles that strongly reminds him of his daughter who is no where to be seen. Soobin carefully looks around for the girl, only having interacted with her once but feeling attached to her already. The father seems to notice his searching gaze. “Moa is in her room, playing with dolls. I told her you’re unwell--,” Soobin unconsciously sags in relief. Then, Huening Kai grins with a distant look in his eyes. “—you haven’t changed one bit,” the adult whispers but Soobin’s fairly sure he wasn’t supposed to hear that.

Soobin focuses back to the adults. “Full names. Age. Occupation,” He says sternly. The adults exchange looks before Huening Kai shakes his head in amusement.

“you know me. Huening Kai. 30 years old. Personal Music teacher,”

Stranger one clears his throat. “I’m Choi Beomgyu.I’m 31 years old and I work as a music producer,” He says with an air of glee that makes Soobin narrow his eyes in suspicion. The man has a shit-eating grin on his face as if he had been wanting to hear Soobin call him hyung all his life. “So, call me hyung, _Soobin_ ,” he continues with barely concealed laughter.

Soobin frowns before Stranger two knocks Beomgyu on the head while rolling his eyes. Ignoring Beomgyu’s whines, he introduces himself. “I’m Kang Taehyun. Same age as Huening Kai. Gym owner and instructor. Hyung or not, that depends on you. Now that the introductory session is over, you can answer our question now,”

_Straightforward. I see._ Soobin notes as he nervously plays with the bracelet on his wrist. Taehyun’s eyes follow his action and raises an eyebrow as if he’s expecting Soobin to tell him his greatest secret. But what is Soobin supposed to tell?

_Oh hey, I came from the past. Like technically fifteen years ago and I don’t remember the shit that I did to make fate yeet me into the future timeline?_

Soobin blinks. The adults are staring at him with their jaws dropped in surprise. _Wait._ His face burns when he realizes that he’d spoken that out loud.

“I think I need the strongest alcohol there is,” Huening Kai mumbles, breaking the awkward silence before Taehyun gasps and slaps his head.

“your daughter _and_ a minor are here. Don’t you fucking dare, Huening Kai Kamal,” Taehyun threatens. The man pouts, which is a weird sight for Soobin since he’s an adult.

“I was joking. You’re so mean to your _maknae_ , Taehyun,”

“we’re the same age, for fuck’s sake,”

Soobin watches the banter with confusion. _Seriously, what the fuck is going on? Why aren’t they freaking out or calling me a liar?_ Beomgyu notices the look on his face and visibly softens.

“a.. _friend_ of ours went through a similar situation as yours when he was your age. We thought he was crazy then but it makes sense now,” Beomgyu explains patiently. Soobin’s mouth falls open. So, he’s not the only one..? kinda crazy. Then, a thought pops up and Soobin hesitantly clears his throat which brings all three adults’ attention on him.

“do.. do you guys personally know me? As in.. future me?,” He asks. He catches the exchange of looks between the adults, noticing the flicker of sentiments in their eyes as if they’re relieving great memories.

“we do. And you’ll know us soon,” Taehyun replies softly. Soobin furrows his eyebrows and looks at them with pursed lips.

“but what if I can’t go back?,” He asks. The fear of having to stay in the future scares him. After all, he’s a time anomaly and there’s bound to be consequences for his time in the future.

The three adults exchange looks again before Huening Kai steps up and lays a gentle hand on his shoulder. “if Fate can bring you here, then it can bring you back. You just gotta have faith, Choi Soobin,”

* * *

The time on the clock is slow.

The house is empty except for him since Moa has daycare and Huening Kai has classes to teach. Left with only a phone to entertain him, Soobin’s Wednesday is bland and boring.

_“here’s a phone. You can search stuff,” Huening Kai had said before he turned in for bed. Soobin took it hesitantly and he could understand what the man is implying. Find out the past. Find out what he’ll go through for the next 15 years. He had so many questions and of course, curiosity is killing him. As far as he knew, he was an idol just like Yeonjun’s parents, alongside the three men he’d befriended and his best friend._

_He still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that he, introverted Choi Soobin who couldn’t even stand on stage without fright, was an idol._

_“I know you have questions. And I’m sorry that all of us were tight-lipped about the events we went through but we felt that it would be unfair for you to know what will happen,” Huening Kai did sound apologetic but Soobin actually get what he meant. This timeline might be his future but it’s also their present. If he’d known the details of their past, wouldn’t he attempt to change it once he goes back? There is so much risk to knowing what the future entails for him. Discovering himself to have a career of an idol already made his head spin. What more when he discovers more?_

_Soobin shot the man a polite smile before taking the phone and nodding in understanding. “it’s okay, Kai hyung. I’m not interested in knowing what will happen too,”_

_Huening Kai genuinely looked surprised by this and his face melted into one of adoration. He didn’t speak as he smiled at Soobin and left the room. The look on his face was burned inside Soobin’s mind for the rest of the night._

Yesterday’s events are wild and Soobin would pick yesterday than today. He hadn’t had any glimpses of what happened in his past except the one that he’d gotten yesterday which barely helps him in his quest to finding out why he’s stuck in the future. Soobin frowns before his eyes land on his phone again. Despite what he’d said to Huening Kai last night, he is curious about his idol career.

_A little peek wouldn’t hurt right..?_

Soobin takes a deep breath, feeling as if he’s committing a sin as he pulls up the search engine. His thumbs hover over the keypad and carefully, he types in the name that is engrained in his head.

**Tommorrow by Together (TXT)**

A weird yet fitting name, in Soobin’s opinion. Quite long too. A website immediately comes up as soon as he types in the name. He skims past the achievements, not wanting to really go into details before his eyes land on their profiles.

**Period of activity: 4 th March 2041 – 4th March 2048**

**Members consisting: Choi Soobin (Leader), Kim Yeonjun, Choi Beomgyu, Kang Taehyun and Huening Kai.**

**Fandom Name: Moment of Alwaysness (MOA)**

So, they were active for seven years. That’s standard for a KPOP group. Seven years of his life. An idol. That’s so _bizarre_. Soobin could never imagine himself as an idol. He had dreams of it, especially after him and Yeonjun went to that concert when he was thirteen with Uncle Seojoon accompanying them but to dedicate almost a decade for that career? It’s kind of _mind-blowing_. Additionally, Soobin discovers he’s the leader. Which probably explains the adoration he’d seen on Huening Kai’s face last night. Talking about the _maknae_ of the group, it’s clear that he’d gotten his daughter’s name from their fandom which is sweet of him.

Their years of being idols must have impacted Huening Kai enough to name his daughter after their fandom.

Soobin couldn’t find any information of them after their disbandment which he had expected since Yeonjun’s parents, Kim Taehyung and Jeon Jungkook barely left a trace after they left the industry to pursue a career as a Kindergarten teacher and a vocal coach respectively. Though he knows this, It only fires his curiosity more.

_What is he working as now that they’ve disbanded?_

_What happened to Yeonjun? Are they still friends?_

So many unanswered questions. How could he get the answers..? Soobin closes the website and switches to the messenger app. His thumb hovers over Huening Kai’s contact before he clicks on it. Taking a deep breath, he begins to type.

**From:** Young Gum

_Kai hyung._

_Do you think I could meet with future me?_

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 11:03 AM]

Huening Kai didn’t immediately reply so he must be working. Soobin drops the phone on the sofa and huffs.

_The waiting game begins._

* * *

**From:** Kai Hyung

About that..

Soobin hyung isn’t around.

He has a conference to attend but he will be back around 7th though

He still doesn’t know about the situation and he’s unreachable

We have to wait for him

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 2:56 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

Oh.

I guess we have to wait.

Um. What about Yeonjun hyung?

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 3:02 PM ]

**From:** Kai hyung

Yeonjun hyung..

He’s not around until Christmas

You probably won’t see him until then

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 4:13 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

Oh.

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 4:30 PM ]

**From:** Kai Hyung

I just picked up Moa.

What do you want to eat for dinner?

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 5:00 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

Anything is fine, hyung

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 5:04 PM ]

**From:** Kai hyung

Does Pizza sound good?

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 5:05 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

That sounds good.

See you when you get home, hyung.

[ Sent, 2nd December 2054, 5:06 PM ]

* * *

**From:** Young Gum

I know I said I’m not interested in the future

But I am curious about one thing

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 2:37 PM ]

**From:** Kai hyung

Well, If I were your age and somehow found myself

In the future, I’d have questions too

It’s kinda admirable that you’re not trying to soak

Information of the future

But yeah,

What is it?

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 3:43 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

Me and Yeonjun hyung

Are we still friends?

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 3:45 PM ]

**From** : Kai Hyung

Friends?

I wouldn’t call you guys just that.

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 3:59 PM ]

**From:** Young gum

What does that even mean?

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 4:01 PM ]

**From:** Kai Hyung

You’ll see once you meet your older you

😊

Anywayyyyys, what do you want for dinner?

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 5:23 PM ]

**From** : Young Gum

Hmm

Sus.

But, I’ll have whatever Moa is having

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 5:45 PM ]

**From** : Kai Hyung

So

You want cheerios..?

[ Send, 3rd December 2054, 5:56 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

…

I crave death

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 6:01 PM ]

**From:** Kai Hyung

So dramatic.

Soondubu-jjigae sounds good?

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 6:02 PM ]

**From:** Young Gum

Yeah.

See you when you get home, hyung

[ Sent, 3rd December 2054, 6:05 PM ]

* * *

There are times when Soobin would end up _floating_ along his sea of thoughts.

Mostly, the thoughts revolve around his predicament, especially when he’s left alone at night or the past three days of him being in the future. He prods at the gapping section of his mind, willing and pleading to remember. _Anything._ But all he gets is a blank wall staring back at him as if saying, _you are not ready._

There are thoughts that make him question his life.

Now that he’s in a new foreign setting he could no longer recognize, it makes him realize how much he looks down on the little things in his life. Like the post box he passes every day when he goes out, or even the view of his neighborhood from the window of his room. The little things he’d overlooked grow into a big chunk of the things he’d missed.

But that’s only the materialistic side of the little things.

He misses his parents, most of all. Soobin misses his mother’s gentle smile and equally gentle love. He misses her horrible cooking and her soft scolding every time he fools around. He misses her lonely eyes as she looked at the head of the dining table every time his father would miss dinner. Hell, Soobin even finds himself craving for his father. His _absent_ yet there father. He misses his father’s small approval every time he achieved something. He even misses his father’s _i-love-yous_ and he could count them in one hand!

And when the sad _longing_ thoughts accumulate in his head, Soobin is left _lonely_ in the home that doesn’t even feel like his. He won’t cry because what is there for him to weep for? But he finds himself longing for a silent companion. He didn’t text Huening Kai at all, breaking the streak of doing so for the past two days. Instead, he puts the phone far enough he couldn’t reach for it from the sofa. Soobin didn’t want to bother the man anymore.

The thing is Soobin had never felt _this_ lonely.

His companion had always been his best friend. The annoying yet admittedly _pretty_ Kim Yeonjun.

They’ve been friends for a very long time. Yeonjun is his _somebody_ , his friend and he’d even stepped in to be the father figure that he lacked. Calling Yeonjun his father is kind of disturbing but Yeonjun had been at his every first. _First bike ride, first talent show, first heartbreak_ and a lot of other firsts he never knew he had taken granted. It feels as if Yeonjun is his first to everything. And he didn’t want them to fall apart.

_Friends?_

_I wouldn’t call you guys just that._

That’s what Soobin is afraid of, honestly—as Huening Kai’s reply echoes in his head. Had he lost that one pillar in his life that made him _him_? They’ve always been attached by the hips since they were very young. The previous four lives of Soobin before he’d met Yeonjun doesn’t seem like his life anymore as the moment he truly felt _alive_ was whenever he was with Yeonjun.

Though Soobin buries his unwanted thoughts as deeply as he could, they’ll emerge once in a while. Would it explain why Soobin feels absolutely _awful_ whenever Yeonjun had a lover growing up? Would it explain the future in his head where he’d only envisioned them both, _together,_ until their last breaths like _soulmates_?

Soulmates.

He remembers their banters. They’re always light and funny when looking back. He remembers the little smiles and laughs as they communicate through their eyes, knowing what the other would do before they’d even think about it. They’re connected, Soobin concludes. With their red string that is attached on both of their pinkies. Soulmates.

Until the end.

_“So you’re going to leave me? Just like that?,” Soobin argued, tears stubbornly forming in his eyes as he glared venomously at his surprised hyung whose smile had completely fallen off his face. The previous drop of news melted into the background and Soobin just felt betrayed._

_“what are you talking about?,” Yeonjun asked, incredulous and scandalized. He looked genuinely hurt at the implication behind Soobin’s angered words._

_“you’ll be an idol. You’ll leave me to rot in the shadows--,” Soobin said, words sharp and hurtful. “—so much for soulmates, right hyung?,”_

The memory fades away and Soobin blinks in horror. _No._ he sits in shock. Had the words really left his lips? Had he gotten so caught up in his own conflicted feelings he had _purposely_ hurt the one person he’d never imagined hurting? The bracelet on his wrist feels heavy, reminding him of his hurtful words and angry action as he stares down at the piece of jewelry.

The tears come this time and unlike the _last_ time, Soobin allows them to fall like rain on rainy days. Down they go, with regret. With pain. With longing.

With the shame.

**Author's Note:**

> if you like the au, do leave kudos and comments!  
> find me on twt! @/miintaexty and do follow Rai! @/kimvanadium


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